Cybersecurity
New partnership formed to share cyber threat intel with water utilities
The Water Information Sharing and Advisory Center partnered with Cyware to provide intelligence and what officials called a “collective defense” in the face of growing threats.
America’s water systems are becoming a front line in cyber conflict
COMMENTARY | Recent incidents should serve as a huge warning signal, and should encourage utilities to think about cybersecurity not as a compliance but a resilience issue.
States risk rebuilding the cloud compliance maze
COMMENTARY | Some are moving towards their own procurement mandates, but might find themselves in a fragmented environment that could make compliance challenging.
Cyber decisions that outlast leadership transitions
COMMENTARY | A transition-ready decision record can keep state and local cyber-risk choices from losing their logic when leaders, vendors or service owners change.
CISA pledges election security support after cuts weakened ties with states
A new plan emphasizes threat sharing and coordination ahead of the midterms, but does not explain how those commitments fit with proposed cuts to dedicated election security funding.
Money worries weigh on critical infrastructure amid growing cyber threats, report finds
A joint study found that while almost all state tech leaders are worried about cyberattacks, they lack the funding to protect some of these crucial systems.
Water utilities can be running and still not be recovered
COMMENTARY | Questions around whether water is safe to drink tell only half the story. Public reporting does not show if trusted operational authority has been re-established.
How cyber ranges can help build trust in AI
The public and private sectors are turning more and more to closed environments to help prepare for a cyberattack. Experts said they can also build an understanding of AI and its capabilities.
Luminis cybersecurity incident highlights ‘concerning’ rise in attacks on healthcare
Experts say officials should anticipate future attacks and bolster their cybersecurity protections.
White House launches water cybersecurity pilot in Texas
Project Watershed 250 will stress-test utilities over six months and could serve as a model for protecting water providers nationwide.
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Whole-of-state cyber defense: The pathway for addressing today’s AI-fueled threats
COMMENTARY | When every link in the chain is protected, the entire state is stronger, so they and their technology partners must operate as a unified, integrated force.
States, feds scramble to prevent more water cyberattacks
In the weeks after nine states were hit, lawmakers at the federal and state levels have proposed new funding to harden infrastructure, but experts warned they remain vulnerable.
White House to soon launch water provider cyber protection program
The plans come as several states face water system intrusions from what some official suspect could be linked to Iran.
Treasury sanctions Iranian hackers tied to critical infrastructure breaches
Four of the five people named in the cyber action were also charged last week in the Justice Department’s expanded Mabna Institute case.
What leaders get wrong about cloud security
COMMENTARY | Local governments are adopting cloud-based ERP systems to modernize finance operations, but cloud migration alone doesn’t eliminate security and compliance risks.
Former California CISO reflects on cyber’s importance in state government
Now a senior advisor at World Wide Technology, Vitaliy Panych said his aim was always to make everyone a “risk practitioner,” while managing an enormous state infrastructure.
New ‘Water Watch Center’ launched to help small utilities stop cyberattacks
The initiative comes as multiple states grapple with intrusions into their water systems that some officials suspect could be tied to Iran.
More US water systems struck by hackers
The FBI said systems in at least seven states have been hit, following an Iran-linked group’s hack in Minnesota. Experts urged operators to beef up operational technology cybersecurity.
Chinese telecom firms kept footholds in US networks despite federal crackdowns, House probe finds
China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom retained equipment, data center space and network ties after FCC restrictions, including a China Mobile-linked network that appeared in routes to Salt Typhoon servers.
Smart phones render Nevada privacy law vague and outdated, says attorney
“The burden has now become placed on us as humans. If we want to have a private conversation, we really need to take extra steps to have that private conversation,” an attorney said while arguing a case involving the statute.
